Half to



Sr LEWIS.

(No Model.)

TOY.

Patented Apr. 4, 1882.,

WITNESSES lJV' "JV'TOR I I M I d 7% I 6%WY&% I ttorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

SAMUEL LEWIS, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGN OR OF ONE- HALF TO A. W. HAMAKER, OF SAME PLACE.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,010, dated April 4, 1882.

Application filed February 13, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL LEWIS, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referonce being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a perspective view of the toy com plete. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the 1 base and standard. Fig.3 is a horizontal section through the top part of the box specially designed to contain the toy. Fig. 4is a crosssection of the same, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the box packed with the toy, the

top of the box being partially broken away to show the mode of packing.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. V

A is the base of the toy, which is made of wood or other suitable material, and has a central bore, a, to receive the tenon b of a standard, B, in the upper end of which is inserted a sharp-pointed needle, 0.

D represents a figure, (in the present illuso tration of my invention of a fish,) in one end of which is inserted a pin, E.

F and F are two needles, having balls F, of lead or iron, cast on their thick ends. These needles are inserted with their pointed ends 5 into the figure D, one on each side of the projecting pin E. By properly adjusting the weighted pinsF F the figure may be balanced by its pin E upon the point of the vertical needle 0 in such a manner that the slightest o breath or current of air will rotate it without throwing it off of its equilibrium, thus affording amusement, while at the same time demonstratin g the laws of equipoise and gravitation.

To pack the toy when not in use so as to prevent abrasion of the sharp-pointed needles 4 5 O and F F, I have invented a box or case, G, in the bottom of which is fixed a frame, H, of wood or other suitable material. The cross or head piece H of this frame has two holes, h h, through which the pins F F are inserted, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to keep their points apart and free from contact with anything else in the box. The base A (standard B having first been detached) is slipped into the box with its bottom resting upon frame H H, at ter which the standard B is placed upon one side and the figure D on the other side thereof, after which the box is inserted into its outer case, G.

It is obvious that any suitable figure may be substituted for the figure of the fish shown in the drawing. For example, the figure of a horse or other animal or of a boy or girl may be used for the balancing-figure, if desired, it

being left to the children who are playing with the toy to so insert the weighted balance-pins F F as to find the equipoise of the figure upon its pointed pivot 0.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The balancing toy herein shown and described, composed of the base A, having needlepointed standard or pivot B G, balance-figure D, having pin E, and detachable weighted pins F F F F, pointed to admit of their insertion into the substance of the figure D, as set forth.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL LEWIS.

Witnesses:

MtoHAEL REIoHER'r, JOHN CHRIST. 

